


To Dance with You

by wht_cnry



Category: Holby City
Genre: Consultant black-tie event, Dancing, F/M, Hexanna
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-08-04 11:58:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16346312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wht_cnry/pseuds/wht_cnry
Summary: Henrik dances with a few consultants at a party, Roxanna decides that he owes her a dance from a long time ago.





	To Dance with You

It was the night of the consultants’ black-tie event. Climbing out of her taxi, Roxanna stood outside the venue preparing herself to go inside. The night was young, and she was ready to mingle with the usual consultants that were there every year. 

She was dressed in a gorgeous black dress, stopping just below her knee, which accented her natural curves beautifully and she wore matching black two-inch heels. Walking in, the room was decorated in a classy manner and all the people were dressed in their finest. There were many waiters and waitresses - dressed in white shirts, black ties and black trousers - around the room circulating with trays filling with champagne glasses. She walked further into the event and was met by a few familiar faces. 

She looked across the room and caught a glimpse of the former CEO of Holby City Hospital, Henrik Hanssen. He was dressed in a classic tuxedo and if she was honest she felt herself swoon slightly at the sight, she had never seen him looking so suave. He just seemed to be mingling with the crowd of consultants, with a certain consultant on his arm. Under different circumstances, jealousy would have consumed her, but she knew that he wasn’t interested in the woman accompanying him to the party and she wasn’t interested in him either. Ms Serena Campbell, whose partner, Ms Bernie Wolfe, was working away in Nairobi.

Another woman, a brunette, younger than herself and Henrik, dressed in a navy backless dress, walked up to Henrik and somehow managed to coerce him onto the dancefloor, though Serena seemed to push him. She felt an urge to rip this woman away from him, but she knew she had no claim to him. He was still just a very good friend, who she had feelings for. Roxanna decided to mingle with some of her own colleagues, namely Serena. Serena was sitting, watching the couples’ dancing, with a glass of Shiraz in her right hand. Roxanna sat beside her and ordered a white wine. Serena seemed giddy, but not quite drunk yet. 

“Roxanna how are you this evening?” Serena smiled.

“Oh, fine and you?” she politely asked.

Serena tilted her glass. “Well, I can’t complain,” she laughed “and at least I’m not being dragged around that dancefloor like poor Henrik is. Connie is bound to wear him out by the end of the night.” The both stood together watching the couple in question dancing together on the floor, Serena with a smile and Roxanna with barely hidden distain.

Roxanna stored that name away. Connie. Wait, she'd heard that name before. “Connie Beauchamp from ED?”

Serena nodded, “the very same.” She laughed again. “He once told me that they clashed on his first day and never really saw eye to eye after that, but they maintain a professional working relationship even if they disagree. I think it’s easier now she’s in the ED and he’s on Keller.”

Roxanna nodded. In truth, she was relieved that Henrik wasn’t interested in this woman on a romantic level, but then she felt slightly selfish. He was her best friend and he deserved happiness in any form he could get it. Life had been tough for him so far and he deserved to feel the love that only a relationship could give him, but she still only wanted him to have that with her. It was selfish, but she didn’t care. The only thing bothering her was Henrik’s hand on that woman’s bare back. 

After her there were a few other women who decided to dance and try their luck with the ex-CEO. It seemed to Roxanna, even from afar that he simply wasn’t interested in any of the women who danced with him.

A while later, Roxanna watched Henrik walk outside and followed him, finally managing to get her old friend alone. He seemed to just be getting some fresh air as he was standing under the night sky filled with the glistening stars. 

She cleared her throat to alert him of her presence and he turned around fairly swiftly, the corners of his mouth turning upwards once he saw who was behind him. “Roxanna.” He smiled, nodding towards her.

His good mood was infectious, and she smiled back at him. “Henrik, what are you doing out here?” She shuffled further outside to stand next to him looking up at the stars.  
“Just getting some fresh air. I was beginning to feel a bit light headed in there.” 

“It must have been the dancing.” She prompted.

“Perhaps.”

“I’ve been wanting to get a hold of you all night, but you have been rather busy.” He nodded, and she carry on. “Do you remember my wedding day?” she asked and to Henrik it seemed like a very strange and out of the blue question, but he humoured her and answered it anyway.

“Of course, how could I forget. The greatest day of your life.” He smiled, but she couldn’t help but notice that it didn’t reach his eyes.

“I asked you to dance with me and you said you couldn’t.”

Henrik was beginning to see where this conversation was going. He clearly his throat uncomfortably. “I didn’t expand, but I never meant that I couldn’t dance, as you have seen I can.”

“Mmm, very well from what I’ve seen, so what was it. You’ve danced with most of the female consultants tonight, but you wouldn’t dance with me on one of the most important days of my life.”

He breathed deeply, hoping she wouldn’t take what was about to say the wrong way. “That’s a slight exaggeration. I don’t want you to misinterpret this, Roxanna. I was perfectly capable of dancing, but not with you.” She was stunned into silence, but at the same time completely confused.

Slowly she regained her voice. “What do you mean?” He looked at her and then looked away as if he was attempting to conceal the reason from her. She placed a cold hand on his cheek and it was only then that he realised that she was only wearing a party dress to cover herself up from the harshness of the callous cold of the night. Before she could speak or protest he shrugged off his tuxedo jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She smiled at the gesture and pulled the jacket tightly around her, the kind gesture was so ultimately Henrik. “Thank you.” She wouldn’t let that sway her off topic, she replaced her hand back on his cheek turning his head, so his eyes met hers. “Please, Henrik. Tell me what you mean.”

He sighed, turning away from her pleading eyes as he began to speak. “I could have danced with any woman at your reception, but never with you because they were just people, strangers. You were always dear to me and still are. It was difficult enough to watch you marry the man of your dreams, without worrying about dancing with you. That day was beautiful, but it was also difficult. I couldn’t dance with you because I cared about you much more than what was appropriate.”

Roxanna felt her heart drumming wildly in her chest. He had kept quiet for thirty years, so she could be happy with one of his best friends. When she managed to regain the ability to speak, she murmured “why didn’t you tell me?”.

He shrugged. “You were happy.” He smiled at the memory. “A free spirit. We were so different, but I loved you and I’d rather have a friendship with you than not have anything with you at all. Every time we got closer I pulled away. You always deserved better.” Henrik was back to not looking at her again.

“Henrik, stop. I want you to look me in the eye when you answer this.” He didn’t verbally answer but nodded his head, looked her in the eye and took a shaky breath. “Do you love me, Henrik?”

Her eyes locked onto his in an attempt to search for any hints of doubt or hesitation, but there were none. He took her hand, maintaining eye contact the whole time, and placed it on his chest over his heart. “You’re a doctor, you tell me?” he smiled.

She couldn’t help but fall more in love with him. “I want you to say it.”

He smiled shyly. “I love you, Roxanna, I always have.” 

His words, as simple as they seemed, touched her in the most intimate way. She beamed brightly, lighting up the night. “I love you, too.” 

A completely out of character devilish smirk made its way across Roxanna’s face, surprising Henrik. She pushed her hand up his chest until it rested on his shoulder to balance herself as she raised herself up to whisper in his ear. “I want my dance now, Henrik, I’ve waited long enough. If you dance with me, then we can leave and go back to mine for a drink.” Henrik swallowed roughly, she held all the cards, she knew exactly how to manipulate him, and he loved every second of it.

“How could I possibly decline, Ms Macmillan?” she took his hand and led him back inside. Once they were back inside she pushed the suit jacket off her shoulders and handed it to him to put back on. 

She threaded their fingers together and led him to the dancefloor, where many couples were slowly swaying to the soft delicate tempo of the music playing. She placed one hand in his and the other on his back; his hands automatically mirrored hers. 

He saw Serena over her shoulder and she was smiling, mouthing that it was about time and giving him a discreet thumbs up. 

Roxanna matched his every step with perfection, they moved as one, almost as if they were made to dance together. She couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face. This was what contentment felt like she thought as she lay her head against his chest. When the beat of the music changed she pulled her head away from his chest and at that moment he twirled her round in a beautifully slow motion. She felt so cherished, like it was only the two of them on the dancefloor, when in reality there were many people occupying the floor. Towards the end of the slow song, he dipped her and when he pulled her back up again she caught herself with a hand on his chest and her other arm around him. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel herself getting closer to him, until she took the plunge and met his lips with her own. When she broke away, she decided enough was enough. They had been polite and had stayed long enough at this affair; she wanted nothing more than to go home with Henrik and drink wine, while they discussed what was next for them.

She took his hand in hers and led him towards the exit. Nobody seemed to notice their kiss on the corner of the dancefloor, except the woman watching them closely – Serena Campbell – who was under the impression that it was only a matter of time before this happened.

Once they were back outside, Roxanna smirked, and she turned to him, kissing him again. The suddenness of the kiss put him off balance, causing him to stumble backwards into the wall, taking her with him. She kept the contact of his lips the entire time. He reciprocated her kiss once he had regained his balance. Her hands around his neck angled his head down to her height, so she could kiss him fully on his soft lips. She was amazed that this was even happening, after all these years they had finally admitted to the feelings that had been there for thirty years, since their university days in Boston. When she broke the kiss, she gasped for the air she had been deprived of while her lips were otherwise occupied. Her arms slid down his body to settle under his jacket, on his waist and his on hers. Although their lips had parted from each other’s, the rest of their bodies were still in close contact. They were still breathing the same air, there was a sort of intimacy about it. Henrik lay his forehead against hers, as the both smiled at the events of the night.

Henrik called a taxi for them to go home, but there was still the debate was whose house to go to. It wasn’t really an issue, which ever home they went to they would go to together and stay together throughout the night. Roxanna settled it by saying that she hadn’t been shopping, so she didn’t currently have any wine at home. Henrik nodded, saying that he had a bottle or two stored at his house.

Roxanna felt a few rain droplets hit her face, so she looked up towards the sky to see that the clear sky that had once been there was now concealed by dark clouds. It was beginning to rain, but their taxi would arrive soon, so there was no point in going back inside – they waited there under the clouds. 

Once again, Henrik put his jacket over her shoulders to keep her warm and to cover her from the rain. “What about you?” she asked protesting to taking his jacket.

“I’ll be fine. Can’t have you catching a cold now, can we?” she rolled her eyes, but his caring nature touched her. He had been a gentleman all night, dancing with women who asked, but this felt different to how he treated them. She felt special with him – he looked after her in a way she hadn’t been in a long time. His jacket was a barrier for the cold; she was warm, and she could smell his sandalwood aftershave on his jacket, it was a scent she loved and cherished – so ultimately Henrik, she couldn’t really explain it.

Henrik couldn’t help glancing over her as they awaited the taxi’s arrival. She had small droplets of water in her hair, any other woman he would have thought looked like a drowned rat, but the way the droplets clung to the ends of her hair and glistened in the moon light, as the clouds parted to reveal the moon’s presence in the sky, while it was still raining. She noticed this of course. “Are you going to tell me what you’re thinking?” she smiled.

Busted. 

Henrik chuckled because how could he think that she wouldn’t notice. “I never told you that you look beautiful tonight.” His simple compliment brought a blush to her cheeks. She tried to look away to mask the colour he had brought to her cheeks, but he noticed. 

She just leaned in to kiss his cheek, as there was no point in trying to disguise how his words had affected her. “And I never told you how handsome you look in a tuxedo.” She ran her hand down the front of his tuxedo. His cheeks burned similarly to Roxanna’s, but she continued anyway. “To think after thirty years, I’ve never seen you in a tux. I was deprived.” 

Roxanna was about to lean into him again, but the taxi pulled up at that moment and she silently cursed the driver’s poor timing. The clouds seemed to get darker, so despite getting interrupted, maybe it was a good thing the taxi turned up when it did. Henrik led her over to the taxi with his hand on the small of her back. Like the true gentleman he was he opened the door for her and held his hand out to assist her in getting into the car, although they both knew she didn’t need it. He followed her into the back seat of the taxi and informed the driver of his address.


End file.
